1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a footrest-foldable wheelchair.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wheelchair includes footrests that support user's feet when the user is sitting down (see Laid-Open Patent Publication No. JP 2009-011,691 A). As shown in FIG. 22, the footrests 108 of this wheelchair protrude frontward under a flexible seat (sheet) 107 so that the user can comfortably put user's feet when sitting on the flexible seat 107. Each of the footrests 108 includes a footrest arm 141, and a footrest plate 142 that is coupled to the fore end part of the footrest arm and can pivot between plate unfolded and folded positions. The footrest plate 142 of this wheelchair will be brought in the plate folded position, when the user is going to sit on or stand up from the flexible seat 107. When the user is sitting on the flexible seat 107, the footrest plate 142 will be brought into the plate unfolded position whereby supporting user's feet. The user can move this wheelchair by rotating driving wheels 103 with user's feet being supported by the footrest plates 142. If the user who is sitting on this wheelchair is going to approach a kitchen sink, washstand, or the like, the footrest plate 142 will hit the sink, or the like, and prevent the user from approaching it. For this reason, the user is required to use the sink, washstand, or the like with straining himself or herself. In order to solve this disadvantage, the present inventor has developed a wheelchair including foldable footrests 208 each of which includes a footrest arm 241 pivotable in the vertical plane and a footrest plate 242 coupled to the footrest arm 241 as shown in FIG. 23 (Laid-Open Patent Publication No. JP 2013-034,788 A).
The footrest arms 241 of the wheelchair shown in FIG. 23 can pivot in the vertical direction away from the frontward protruding position. Accordingly, the user can conveniently use the wheelchair even when sitting on the flexible seat and approaching a kitchen sink, washstand, or the like. However, the footrest arms 241 are coupled to the exterior surface of side frames 201. For this reason, there is a problem that the distance between the right and left footrest plates 242 is larger than the conventional wheelchair shown in FIG. 22. In the case where the right and left footrest plates 242 are spaced at a large interval from each other, the space between the opposed sides of the footrest plates 242 becomes large. As a result, the user's foot may slip off the footrest plate through the space.
The present invention has been developed for solving the disadvantages. It is an object of the present invention to provide a wheelchair that can reduce the possibility that user's foot slip off a right or left footrest plate through the space between the footrest plates.